1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to double bearing reels. More specifically, the invention relates to double bearing reels for attachment to fishing rods wherein fishing line is reeled in on an axis transverse to the fishing rod longitudinal direction.
2. Description of Related Art
In a double bearing reel, a fishing line is reeled in around an axis that crosses a longitudinal direction of a fishing rod. A double bearing reel includes a reel body, a handle, a spool, a rotation transmitting mechanism, a clutch mechanism, and a braking mechanism which is also referred to as a casting control mechanism. The reel body is attached to the fishing rod. The handle is rotatably disposed in the reel body. The spool, which is used for reeling in the fishing line, is rotatably supported on the reel body. The rotation transmitting mechanism transmits the rotation of the handle to the spool. The clutch mechanism is provided in the course of the rotation transmitting mechanism. The braking mechanism brakes the spool regardless of a state of the clutch mechanism.
With this sort of double bearing reel, one provided with a sounding mechanism is known which produces a sound, regardless of an on/off state of the clutch mechanism, when the spool is rotated, and is capable of being switched from an engaged state to a disengaged state or vice versa. With this kind of sounding mechanism, since its engaged state may be maintained during fishing and this engaged state may be switched to the disengaged state when casting or reeling in the fishing line, it is possible to inform a fisherman when a fish is caught by producing a sound or reduce a rotational resistance of the spool when casting or reeling in the fishing line.
It is convenient to use a reel provided with this type of sounding mechanism when drifting live bait. When live bait is used, a bait rig is cast so that it is placed at a predetermined depth of the water while the clutch mechanism is turned off and the sounding mechanism is disengaged. After the bait rig is cast, the casting control mechanism is set to be stronger than normal so that the live bait may swim freely but the fishing reel is not so much released. Then the sounding mechanism is switched to the engaged state, so as to produce a large sound when a fish is caught and the fishing line is released rapidly from the spool.
When a fish bites on the live bait and the fishing line reels out suddenly, rotating the spool and sounding the sounding mechanism, the clutch is put on to set in the tackle and hook the fish. After hooking the fish, to reduce resistance on the fishing line when reeling in, the sounding mechanism is disabled and the casting control mechanism is loosened. When running bait suited to comparatively big-game fishing, especially, the resistance in taking up the fishing line has to be reduced as much as possible, otherwise the reeling-in strain will increase. Rotating the handle in the line-winding direction then draws up the fish.
In a double bearing reel of the foregoing conventional configuration, when beginning to wait for a strike after the bait rig is cast, the sounding mechanism must be activated and at the same time braking force on the spool must be set stronger. When a fish is caught, the sounding mechanism must be deactivated and meanwhile the casting control mechanism loosened. The two operations therefore have to be carried out to respond to the fishing conditions, and particularly when a fish is caught and fishing line reeled in while landing the fish, performing the two complex operations is an involved task.